DEATH, DECOMPOSITION, AND FINAL TRANSFER – Collapse of organism-maintained disequilibrium

After death:

• ion distributions equilibrate
• redox control fails
• macromolecules lose regulated maintenance
• barriers become permeable
• autolysis begins
• microbial access increases

Operational definition

Postmortem process.

The progressive loss of the chemical, electrochemical, spatial, and structural differences that were actively maintained by the living organism.

It includes collapse of:

• membrane potentials;
• ion gradients;
• regulated pH differences;
• controlled redox states;
• molecular turnover;
• selective permeability;
• compartmental organization.

This is a consequence of failed integrated homeostasis, not a complete definition of death by itself.